Harry Maguire has admitted he faces a battle to be a part of Manchester United 's bright new future under Erik ten Hag.
Ten Hag ended United's six-year wait for a trophy with Sunday's 2-0 Carabao Cup final victory over Newcastle at Wembley, landing silverware in his first season in charge. United skipper Maguire has been the most high-profile casualty of Ten Hag's arrival, with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez now the first-choice central defensive pairing.
Maguire, who came on for the final two minutes at Wembley, said Ten Hag had been honest with him about his predicament, but admitted it has been tough watching from the sidelines. “I'm a footballer who wants to play games and I also want to contribute to the team,” said Maguire.
“I'm the club captain and I have a big responsibility on and off the pitch so it was nice to get ion and help the lads. The manager has been asked numerous times about my role in interviews and he tells me honestly that he believes in me, but this is football.
“The lads who are playing and starting, Raphael is playing really well and we've seen the manager's ideas, what he wants, and he does like a left-footed centre-back playing. So it’s high competition for places, but this is Manchester United. We want to win trophies, big trophies, and to do that you need competition.
“The manager speaks to me daily, he really respects me and believes that I'm a top centre-half with all the attributes to play in his team. But also he understands that the players who are playing – and I understand that the players who are playing – are playing very well.”
Maguire, who has started just five of United's 24 Premier League games this season, denied he felt mixed emotions lifting the Carabao Cup with Bruno Fernandes, who captained the side.
“No, I don’t have any mixed emotions,” said Maguire. “It’s been so long since the club won a trophy, it’s a really good day for the club and the fans. “I'm club captain and my main job is to move this club forward and to bring success back to the club and today has been part of it.
“Obviously, listen, I am a footballer who wants to play games and I want to lead the boys out of the tunnel at the start of the game. “But I also understand this is part and parcel of football when you play at the top level and you've got huge competition for places.
“It’s a really good day for the club and for me and a proud day for my family who were in the stands and saw me lift my first trophy for Manchester United.”
Maguire, who turns 30 on Sunday, believes Ten Hag has laid the foundations for sustained success at United, with his high standards, tactical acumen and relentless desire to win.
“We're all pulling in the same direction, we all want the same thing, we've got a good squad, good competition for places and the manager’s made a big impact on the style of play and in the demands he brings,” said Maguire. “When I first came to this club it felt like we'd turned a corner, then we had a bad season and things changed again.
“But the belief in the squad, the players and the staff is the reason why we're moving forward. The mood is really good. “The lads get on really well and are a really tight bunch. The lads who aren’t playing, myself included, are working hard and pushing those who are playing to perform well and they are. That's what a big club’s about.”
